The New Zealand Stalwart
by KingdomOfThomond
Summary: A New Zealand guardsman sustains severe damage during a battle, and falls unconscious. With no memories of his life before falling unconscious, the guardsman joins RED without knowing what he let himself in for.
1. Introducing Stalwart

**A/N **The idea came to me that this could be a particularly useful class, so here it is.

* * *

A New Zealand guardsman shouted in pain, as he was swarmed, shot at, and beaten by his enemies in a battle, then fell into darkness, unconsciousness. He awoke days later in a medical facility, belonging to his side, after he was dragged away by doctors in a bid to save his life. He couldn't of his life before becoming unconscious or who he was, so was given a false identity by the doctors, based somewhat on his characteristics. He was renamed Flynn Holyman, and lived at 194 Forrester Avenue, Kaikorai, Dunedin 9010.

After being attracted to work for Reasonable Excavation and Demolition through a leaflet for New Zealand workers in 1968, several years after his 'accident'. Due to Flynn's lack of decent work, he moved to New Mexico, but gave his house key to a trustworthy friend and asked him to look after his home.

The trip to America was uneventful, though Flynn had the feeling that he had done something similar before. Flynn bought a 1963 Toyota Corolla, before driving through the New Mexican desert to approach a RED outpost, while another 1963 Toyota Corolla was driving to roughly the same location, but turned away to a different, blue, building and not to the red building that Flynn was going to.

After arriving, he answered a few questions asked by a woman in a purple dress and smoking a cigarette. After the questions were answered, Flynn was then escorted, by a shorter woman in a purple dress and wore glasses, to a German doctor who, using concerning methods on Flynn, took a DNA sample, and fitted a valve of sorts to a heart from an animal that replaced Flynn's own. The short woman then escorted Flynn to a storeroom, and gave the slightly confused New Zealander a halberd, a sawn-off shotgun, a Model 454 Taurus Raging Bull, a tower shield, and two New Zealand military uniforms, complete with a Mounted Rifles Hat and plume.

When asked about what to do with the weapons, as Flynn didn't know about the war RED was involved in, the short lady said that he was being employed to hold any tactical position he chose against RED's rivals, Builder's League United.

"Ah, so this is a war between RED and BLU, eh?" asked Flynn.

"Yes, you could say that. I've got to go now. You have a room, near the communal area, fifth one on the right side of a corridor. The others working for RED will answer any questions you have." replied the short woman, before walking off.

"Sweet as. I'll go talk to the others, like the lady suggested."

Flynn ambled through the place he would call home for a while, until he approached the communal area. There was a group of nine other men in there, including the doctor, occupied watching the fattest, the blackest, and the most crazed drink more strong scrumpy than the other two men. Flynn watched for a few seconds, then quickly moved across the room and went into a corridor on the other side. Like the short woman said (whom Flynn had heard the other woman refer to as Miss Pauling), there was a cluster of rooms near the communal area. Flynn moved along it, and opened the fifth door on the right. It was cleaner than he expected, but there was a strange smell coming from the air vent on the outside wall. It turned out that the smell was of an escaped bull had inconsiderately died right outside Flynn's room, and was rapidly decomposing.

Flynn shut the vent, but left his room door propped open with the halberd as he organised himself for his new job. As Flynn could hear his co-workers messing around in the communal area, Flynn did not shut the door as he changed into his uniform, due to Flynn wanting to get rid of the lingering smell of the dead bull. Thankfully, no one else, wanting to get away from the binge drinking, passed Flynn's room. The New Zealander folded his casual clothes and put them on a shelf in his wardrobe, then folded the spare uniform and put it on a different shelf. His weapons, apart from the halberd, were put his weapons in a weapons rack on a wall near the door, and he lay on his bed. When the sounds in the communal area died down a bit, Flynn got off his bed and went down to the communal area.

The black man, the fat one, and the insane person were unconscious, probably because of the amount of strong scrumpy they had drunk. The German doctor had disappeared, presumably to the surgery, but the rest remained. Flynn got called over to a man wearing a slouch hat similar to Flynn's own, but also wore a pair of sunglasses and leather clothes.

"You must be that new man Medic was talking about, mate." said the man in an Australian accent.

"Sure am, you Aussie. What's going on here?" asked Flynn in his native accent.

"A kiwi, eh? We're in the middle of a war between two rival brothers and their respective companies, and everyone here, in this room, has been recruited by RED. That's pretty much all you need to know, mate, apart from the fact that we re-spawn when we die and the names of the other classes, but I'm sure they'll introduce themselves to you soon enough."

"What's your class name? And what is mine?"

"Oh, I'm the Sniper, as sniping is my right up my street, mate. My real name is Mundy. Lawrence Mundy. I've heard you're quite adapt at not letting people through, apparently, so the Administrator called you Stalwart."

"Stalwart. Cool as. When do we get started?"

"Well, the next battle is tonight, so be ready."

* * *

**A/N** That's it for now; reviews would be appreciated as I'm unsure as what to do shortly after this.


	2. Nighttime Warfare at Teufort

**A/N** Okay, I've changed TF2 a little bit, but nothing major. Enjoy.

* * *

The Administrator had decided, in order to spice up the fight more, and also to see how good the new recruit for both teams were, that the two teams should wage war at Teufort very late at night. Of course, any mercenary who did not get any rest beforehand would be tired, and that would make the fight even more enjoyable.

* * *

During the battle, Sniper's thoughts turned from turning heads into blood to Stalwart. Was it true that his health was greater than that of Heavy, but was slower as a result? It appeared so, as Stalwart was the last out of the spawn room, and, of course, that tower shield had the potential to save Stalwart's life.

Sniper shook his head, and returned to the scope of his sniper rifle. There was an all-too-familiar de-cloaking sound behind him, and a French accent accompanied it.

"Right behind you." said the BLU Spy

"Not this time, ya spook." stated Sniper, turning around, still looking down the scope of his rifle.

The scope magnified the look of surprise and horror that the BLU Spy experienced in the minute amount of time between Sniper turning around and firing a round into the BLU Spy's head.

"Boom. Head-shot." chuckled Sniper.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stalwart and Engineer were hard pressed by BLU trying to defend their intelligence. The BLU Scout taunted Stalwart, due to his speed, or rather, lack of it, but Stalwart showed the Boston youth who was boss with the Raging Bull by blowing the brains out of the baseball fan, and, thanks to re-spawn, did this several times until the BLU Scout left the RED Stalwart and the RED briefcase alone. Engineer, on the other hand, was almost constantly getting his Sentry sapped when the BLU Spy stopped attempting to back-stab Sniper and turned his attention to the RED briefcase.

When Engineer heard slow, heavy footsteps in the corridor, he expected the BLU Heavy to turn around the corner. However, it turned out to be the BLU Stalwart, who skewered Engineer on the end of his halberd, before he went on the defensive as the RED Stalwart attacked him. Halberd clashed against halberd, shotguns rivalled each other, Raging Bulls duelled, and sparks flew from tower shields. Eventually, the two evenly matched men stopped fighting when the RED Stalwart chopped off his counterpart's dominant right hand with his halberd, and then proceeded to give the BLU Stalwart exactly the same treatment as he had the BLU Scout. Blood from the BLU Stalwart's head and the plumes from his hat covered the walls.

The RED Medic, who had heard the clashing and gunfire going on in the briefcase room, and ran there to find his team's Stalwart recovering from his recent fight, and the body of the BLU Stalwart, apart from the head, on the floor. Medic trained the beam of the Medigun on Stalwart, before running off to tend to Heavy. After Medic had run away, the RED Spy deactivated his cloak.

"I was doubtful as to how good at fighting you were, but you have exceeded my expectations. I'll be seeing you later." said the Frenchman before turning his cloak back on.

"Alright. See ya later." replied Stalwart.

* * *

After the battle had concluded, a total RED victory with three briefcases to none, the RED team retired to their base.

"Ah, man, you should have been there, running along side me, dodging around those knuckleheads who call themselves BLU. It was epic." exclaimed Scout.

"Scout, I think I had a better time than you did, mate. Scared the wits out of the BLU Spy, by using my scope and shooting him in the head when he was just about to back-stab me." replied Sniper.

"Gentlemen, I observed our newest team-mate during a fight with his counterpart. I assure you that watching them fight each other was most extraordinary." stated Spy.

"How did you find that out, maggot? Hiding in the shadows with your cloak, too scared to fight?" sneered Soldier.

"Of course not Soldier. I was observing how the BLU Stalwart fights, to see where his weaknesses are. Was it not Sun Tzu who said something along those lines? I was surprised. If his behaviour is similar to that of our own Stalwart, then he would be impossible to take out without a fight, as he prefers keeping his back against a wall. However, when he is distracted..." started Spy.

"You go stab him in back? That is good idea. Next time, I will provide distraction, get tiny BLU Stalwart away from wall, then you strike." volunteered Heavy,

"You may have the most health out of everyone here, apart from Stalwart, but you're still slow, son. If we're to get you into the BLU base, you'll need to take doc with you." said Engineer.

Engineer then sat up in his seat, and looked around the room.

"Thinking about him, where is Stalwart? And where's Demo?" asked the Texan.

"Good questions." said Sniper.

A burp came from towards the bedrooms, followed by Scottish and New Zealand accents.

"Nice stuff, but I think I'm going to stay on my scrumpy." slurred Demo, holding a brown bottle of yellow liquid.

"Vhat is in the bottle?" asked Medic.

"Ah, it's a drink we have back in New Zealand called Lemon and Paeroa, abbreviated as L&P." replied Stalwart.

"Is it alcoholic?"

"Nah, I've heard of this stuff. It's a fizzy drink, and the kiwis are fairly big on it." said Sniper.

Medic took the bottle from Demo, and had a swig.

"Hm, very nice." said Medic, giving the bottle back to Demo.

"I'm going to bed now. I think it would be a good idea if you lot did as well." stated Stalwart.

"Yeah, you're right, man. It is kinda late." said Scout, yawning.

Soon, everyone there was yawning, as they walked to their rooms and slept away on their poor quality beds. Before Sniper dropped off, he felt like someone else was in the room, but BLU was asleep by then, and the rest of his team were in bed. Probably nothing, Sniper turned over, and dropped off. If it was any condolence for him, the Spy had exactly the same feeling at exactly the same time.

* * *

**A/N** This isn't going to be like Cernunnos in The Support, if you're wondering. This is something...different...


	3. The Dreams

Sniper had the weirdest of dreams. He dreamt that he was at a conference for renewable energy, and gave a speech to the assembled people describing the good effect of solar panels in the Australian Outback. For some strange reason Spy was amongst those gathered, and, after Sniper had finished, gave a speech against the use of solar panels in general.

When Sniper woke up, he felt slightly strange, in the changed-mental-state sense of the word. But Sniper didn't know why or what he had changed his mind about. Medic would explain and prescribe a course of action. Talking to Medic could wait, at least, until breakfast was over.

At the rather worn and battered table that the mercenaries ate their meals at, Sniper seemed a little bit nervous and fidgety, while Spy was quieter and uneasy. Noticing this, Medic took Sniper and Spy away from the table after they had finished eating.

In Medic's surgery, Sniper and Spy were questioned about why they were acting strangely. The two responded that they had no idea. Medic asked if anything seemed out of place, and that any dreams that they could remember from the previous night could hold the answer. Sniper said that he was at a renewable energy conference with Spy, and that both he and Spy gave speeches.

"I remember a similar dream, where both Sniper and I were at a conference for renewable energy and had to give a speech." said Spy.

"What was my speech about, then?" asked Sniper.

"You were talking about how good it would be to have solar panels in the Australian Outback. What did I say?" asked Spy.

"That solar panels ain't that great."

"It is...unbelievable."

"You can say that again."

"Vhat are you talking about?" asked Medic.

"It appears that Sniper and I shared the same dream through some sort of telepathic bond..." said Spy.

* * *

Over the next four nights, most of the other RED mercenaries had a dream with another mercenary, similar to the one held by Sniper and Spy. Medic and Stalwart, however, did not experience the dream at all, which Medic regarded as being suspicious.

Medic asked stalwart if he experienced a dream with another mercenary. When the reply was negative, Medic asked why that might be.

"I'm not sure why not. Perhaps we should get Hercule Poirot in." joked Stalwart.

"At least, he vould be able to get to the cause of this." said Medic, before going deep into thought.

"It appears that the other men have only had one dream, so, I assume, ve should have had it by now. By that, I believe that this connected dream is avoiding us." stated Medic.

"You mean that it's like an anthropomorphism of something?"

"Ja, but I do not know vhat of."

"This isn't good."

"Dummkopf. I know that."

"What dreams did the others have?"

"Vell, Sniper and Spy vere in a conference about renewable energy, Soldier and Demoman vere touring a brewery, Scout and Heavy vere taking part in the Olympics, vhile Pyro and Engineer vere in the White House vhile a black man vas president."

"It could be a prophecy of some kind."

"Ja, that could be true, but vhy would it avoid us?"

"I don't know. Maybe it left us alone because it wants to be out."

"Or ve won't be believed, trusted, or ve are going to see one together sometime in the future."

"Okay, I think we've covered everything for the moment. If you want to talk about this tomorrow or at a later date, I'll listen."

* * *

In the Administrator's office, the Administrator sent Miss Pauling away on a pointless errand. When the Administrator was alone, she picked up one of the many telephones that were on her desk and dialled a number.

"Is that Mann Co.? Good. The test subjects are responding well. The German and the New Zealander are suspicious, but they don't know that we are responsible. Give them their dream."

* * *

**A/N** So, Mann Co. is responsible. But what are they trying to achieve? Find out in the next chapter. If you didn't realise, the black American president was Obama.


	4. Stalwart and Medic's Shared Dream

That night, Stalwart was in bed, weary after a long day guarding his team's briefcase. Before he dropped off, he thought he saw the silhouette of a man standing outside his window. However, when Stalwart went over to the window, nobody was there. Stalwart went back to bed, and fell asleep shortly afterwards. In Medic's room, the German doctor was so tired that he simply took his clothes off, put on some soft flannel pyjamas, got into bed, and fell asleep instantly. Neither of the two men felt a slight prick on the side of their neck.

* * *

Stalwart dreamt that he was standing on Kensington road, Whangerai, New Zealand. Nearby was the house of one of Stalwart's friends, Hobson Gaukrogers, who was just going out to work. The two men had met each other when they were working at the Reno Repairs before it went bankrupt. They nodded at each other, and Stalwart looked around himself.

Medic was walking around the corner of the road, and ran to Stalwart went the German noticed him.

"Vhere is this place?" asked Medic.

"Kensington road, New Zealand." replied Stalwart

"Doesn't New Zealand have something about nuclear power?"

"Yeah, we do. Why do you ask?"

"My backpack runs on a small nuclear reactor, vhich vas built by Engineer. Nothing Russian, as those things will catch fire or explode."

"Ah. If you keep quite about it, no-body will mind, unless they ask you about what it runs on."

"Danke. Vell, Herr Flynn, do you think that this is the shared dream that the others have been having?"

"Could be. We'll know tomorrow, as we can ask each other questions about it. Did you see anyone lurking around your room or outside of it before you went to sleep?"

"Nein. I vas so tired, that I changed out of my clothes, got into my bed, and vent to sleep."

"I thought I saw someone lurking outside my window, but when I went to check, they had disappeared."

"A ghost?"

"Could be what's causing these shared dreams. Let's go to the Bakehouse Café and talk over it there, maybe over a drink and a bag of chips."

Stalwart phoned up a taxi, which, thanks to the dream realm, arrived instantaneously, and took Stalwart and Medic to the Bakehouse Café in no time at all. They got out of the taxi, went straight to the counter as there wasn't a queue, and Stalwart ordered a bag of chips and a can of L&P for himself, and then the same for Medic. Stalwart handed over some money which totalled the precise amount that the chips and L&P cost, and the two sat down at a table.

"A ghost could be a good explanation for the shared dreams, as it fits most of the criteria for everything the other men have experienced. However, I don't think it was." said Stalwart.

"Ja, I agree vith you. The silhouette could have been someone from Mann Co. They are a veapons company, and it could be that ve are the test subjects of new veapon." replied Medic.

"I don't see how they could use it as a weapon. Still, I don't want to play Poirot, so lets stop thinking about the shared dream and enjoy ourselves."

"I think that you do not yet know what I enjoy doing. However, I shall attempt to enjoy a country that I have never been to before."

Before that could happen, though, the two mercenaries stopped sharing the dream and started having different ones.

* * *

The following day, immediately after a round at Teufort, Medic and Stalwart continued their conversation from the previous night's dream in Medic's surgery. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that the shared dreams were indeed a potential weapon, but, before they could retaliate against Mann Co. for their actions, the all-seeing Administrator locked down Medic's surgery. The Administrator then proceeded to provoke the remaining RED mercenaries into declaring Medic and Stalwart as traitors. Despite the provocation, Heavy did not abandon his German friend, so he broke into the surgery through a window, and helped the duo escape through a secret tunnel, known only to Heavy and Medic, which ran from the surgery to the back of the base. At the end of the tunnel, Heavy bid fair-well to the two men and returned to the surgery, due to Mann's Land being unsafe for Medic and Stalwart as the rest of the RED team would remove their ability to re-spawn before killing them. New recruits were sure to come along to replace them, so their fleeing of Teufort temporarily affected the RED team, but nothing major would result.

From now on though, Stalwart and Medic were on their own in a fight against Mann Co. and the Administrator.

* * *

**A/N** I didn't expect the story to go this way when I started this chapter, so you might encounter some turbulence. On a side note, I don't know if the Bakehouse Cafe was around in 1968, but I have a feeling it wasn't. Still, I can use creative license, and it's a nice place to go to (I remember the chips being there quite good).


	5. Research Division

Medic and Stalwart looked at the New Mexican desert around them, before looking at each other.

"Where's Mann Co., doc? I want to do something unthinkable to it." asked Stalwart.

"It is about 100 miles north of us. I know that there is a small that goes past Mann Co. and feeds into the moat between the RED and BLU bases here. If ve follow this river..." started Medic.

"We'll end up at Mann Co.?"

"Ja. Now, Mann Co. doesn't use it for powering machinery, nor dumping vaste chemicals, due to the smallness of the channel and the amount of water that flows along it, but is used a water supply for the kitchens at latrines."

"Okay. So, if we want to get to Mann Co. as soon as possible, we should start looking for this stream now."

The men started searching for the stream that Medic was talking about. Shortly afterwards, Stalwart felt something cold and wet around his feet, and realised that he'd walked into the stream without noticing it. The stream was small, but could supply a company with drinking water. Stalwart called over to Medic, and the two men strolled upstream, chatting amiably – Medic about his profession and doves, and Stalwart about New Zealand and tactics.

Due to Stalwart's slow walking speed, which Medic estimated to be three miles per hour, the duo arrived at Mann Co. in the morning, thirty-six hours after they started walking to Mann Co. On their journey, Stalwart killed animals for food when either of them were hungry, and drank from the steam. At the end of their journey to Mann Co., they did not find a massive engineering complex. Instead, they were confronted by an array of level six sentries and dispensers, surrounding a small farm shed, and the necessary machinery to make guns.

The men, reeling from this discovery, quickly made their way to the covered side a small hill to avoid the bullets, rockets and fire coming from the sentries. From their location, they saw a lone man park his car outside the shed, and walk inside.

"He must be a scientist." whispered Stalwart.

"Dummkopf. You mean _the_ scientist. The place is too small for two people." replied Medic.

"How close to an Übercharge are you, doc?"

"Almost there. Are you intending to storm past the sentries?"

"Got it in one."

Medic shoved Stalwart into the sensor range of the sentries, who targeted hi, Stalwart rolled back behind the hill.

"Why did ya do that?" asked Stalwart, a little injured.

"To fill up the Übercharge." answered Medic

"Why didn't you say?" inquired Stalwart, and boldly stood in front of the sentries. They targeted him, and Stalwart roll down the hill next to Medic, who began healing him. After Stalwart's wounds were sealed up, Medic's medigun began to crackle. Stalwart stood up and shouted at Medic.

"Deploy the charge, doc!"

Stalwart and Medic glowed red, and both made it past the sentries and into the shed before the Übercharge ran out.

"You must be the suspicious German and New Zealander. Welcome to part of Mann Co.'s researching division." said the scientist who had entered earlier. He was holding a double barrelled shotgun, and it was pointed at Stalwart's head.

* * *

**A/N** Sorry if this seems hurried - I felt guilty at not updating recently. Despite this, what's written here is different to the plan that I made since the last chapter, but that's creative license. Please rate and review.


	6. The Scientist And The Administrator

"I know that you're here to kill me, due to me using you without your knowledge. Still, before you try attacking me, I want you to know that the dreams that your team were having were the early trials of a new telepathic weapon. We monitored your dreams through a communications device implanted on the side of your necks by myself, but I terminated yours prematurely because of how much you knew about the development of the weapon." said the scientist.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear any more of this." stated Stalwart.

The scientist lowered the shotgun he was holding.

"I didn't have any more to say." he said.

"Good." said Stalwart, who fluidly took out his Raging Bull and shooting the scientist in the head before the unfortunate man realised what Stalwart was doing.

Medic and Stalwart looked at the scientist's dead body, and Medic took all of the scinetist's files on the telepathic dreams. Medic explained that anyone who tried to continue the project would be able to use the scientist's notes, and so removing the notes would mean that anyone continuing the project would have to start all over again. Stalwart, while Medic was collecting the notes, looked around for a way to disable the sentries outside, but instead found a manhole over a disused sewer pipe, presumably the scientist's escape route should something bad happen.

Medic finished collecting the scientist's notes, and both men climbed down into the sewer. Utilising his sense of touch in the dark sewer, Medic found another manhole cover, and both German and New Zealander got out. A short distance away were the sentries, but the two men were not in sensor range.

"Vhere do ve go now?" asked Medic.

"Administrator's office. She was the one who locked us into your surgery and declared us traitors, and she should die. Do you know where her office is?" inquired Stalwart.

"Ja. It is about three and a half miles from Teufort."

"Great. Another thirty-six hours of walking. You know that 1953 film I was talking to you about..."

* * *

Late in the afternoon the following day, the Administrator noted two hazy figures aproaching her office, trying to stay out of sight of the cameras. Realising that they were Medic and Stalwart, the Administrator phoned Saxton Hale, who arrived through one of the windows in three minutes, breaking the glass in the process. Miss Pauling, realising that it would be a good idea to get out of the office, silently slipt through the door.

Seven minutes later, Stalwart broke down the door, and entered the room, followed by Medic. The Administrator, who had been talking the the shadows, turned around in big swiveling chair the face the intruders.

"You know vhy ve are here, swinehund." stated Medic.

"I do. Do you two realise what damage to Mann Co. you have done by killing the scientist working on a weapon and stealing his notes?" inquired the Administrator.

"How did you find out?" asked Stalwart.

"I have a few cameras in Mann Co.'s weapon development areas."

"That would explain it."

"The damage that you two have done is that Mann Co. is now unable to compete with some rivals. Saxton!"

Saxton hale, much to the shock of the two other men in the room, came out of the shadows.

"Kill them."

* * *

**A/N** Medic and Stalwart are going to suffer one of the most painful and messiest deaths life can give you. Or are they? Find out in the next chapter. Please rate and review.


	7. Dealing With Hale

Saxton Hale began advancing upon Medic and Stalwart, who backed against the office wall. Stalwart could feel Medic's fear beside him, but Stalwart had an idea.

"Mr Hale, do you know what the weapon's development project was creating?" asked Stalwart.

Hale stopped advancing.

"What are you doing? Kill them!" hissed the Administrator.

"Helen, shut up. I'm interested in what these hippies have to say." said Saxton in a voice that shattered the glass in the unbroken office windows.

"They were developing a new telepathic weapon..." started Stalwart.

"WHAT! I ordered Mann Co. not to develop any sort of mind weapon, including a telepathic one. I am going to pummel that man to death with my bare damn hands when I get to him."

"The scientist is dead; I killed him after he threatened both me and Medic."

"Then I'm going to pummel his dead body with my bare damn hands when I get back to Mann Co."

Saxton turned around to face the Administrator.

"And you, you chain-smoking seductress, you kept this from me!" shouted Saxton.

"To protect you." said the Administrator, feebly.

"My chest hair is indestructible, and you think I need protecting?"

"No..."

"You betrayed me—you said that you wouldn't hide things from me."

Saxton started to advance upon the Administrator, and grabbed her throat.

"Saxton, please don't do this." whispered the Administrator, hoarsely.

"You know I have to." replied Saxton.

With that, Saxton broke the Administrator's neck, and chucked the body out of one of the windows with style. Saxton then called Miss Pauling from outside. She had heard everything.

"Helen is dead, and I need a new Administrator, so you're her replacement. Return these men, _note that I do not call them hippies as I do most mercenaries_, to their posts, and cancel Helen's request for a new Medic and Stalwart." said Saxton.

"Danke." said Medic.

"Yeah, thanks Mr Hale." said Stalwart.

"I repay favours." replied Saxton.

With that, Saxton Hale went back to Mann Co., and, true to his word, pummelled the body of the dead scientist with his bare damn hands.

* * *

A few months later, Medic and Stalwart had been re-integrated back into RED comfortably, but Soldier kept forgetting that they were on his side when Mann Co. caused him to share his dreams with other team members.

One morning, the RED team were getting breakfast, and Medic sat down next to Soldier because there wasn't anywhere else at the table for him to sit.

"Keep away from me, traitor!" shouted Soldier.

"Yo, Soldier, we mustah told you that Medic an' Stalwart ain't traitahs about half a dozen times. The ol' Administrator was lyin' about that." said Scout.

Soldier told Scout to shut up, and that "Slendy" had also told him that Medic and Stalwart were traitors.

"Slendy?" asked Heavy.

"Slender Man, Him, The Operator, Der Ritter, Der Großmann, Bundle, The Tall Man, The Thin Man, Der Schlanker Mann, Fear Dubh, Schlankwald, Tree Man, Slendy, Slenderman, Slender, The Pale One, The White King, Master." replied Soldier.

This got a gasp from Demoman, Spy, Medic, Sniper and Stalwart, and a muffled shout of "HIM!" from Pyro, who then thumped the table. Heavy, Engineer, and Scout asked their team-mates who the Slender Man was, as they were not familiar with the name.

Spy explained that Slender Man was a tall mythical creature who took children and murdered adults, had no face and wore a business suit. Scout asked Spy if he was Slender Man, but Spy called Scout a fool, and said that Slender Man had no facial features at all – no nose, eyes, mouth, ears or hair.

"Ah, I think I may have heard him mentioned once or twice when I was back in Texas. Some fellow Texans said that they had seen him stalking them. Never did believe much of it." said Engineer.

"I also have heard of Der Schlanker Mann. There is a report that a Frau woke up one night, and saw him at the other end of her bed. She could not move or even scream as he reached out his arms and put them around the back of her head. The Frau had headaches, was sick, and could not sleep after the incident. Sometime later, she had an x-ray of her head, and they found a piece of metal lodged in the nerve cluster. Surgery vas attempted, but it could not be removed." stated Medic.

"Still, Soldier 'ere is crazy enough to believe in something like The Pale One, so it's probably just his imagination. Can't explain that Sheila having metal in the nerve cluster in her head." said Sniper.

At that moment in time, Miss Pauling said over the loud speakers that there would be no fights any more, due to a fault with Blutarch's Life Extender, and had died in his sleep. The RED team were quiet for a moment, then cheered loudly enough to be heard by the BLU team in their base.

* * *

RED had the entire day to plan what they were going to do next. Demoman planned to stay in Teufort, so Medic, Stalwart and Heavy, who had planned to stick together and go to Stuart Island, New Zealand, stayed in Teufort until April 1st. The rest of the team packed up their belongings, and left. Sniper gave Stalwart the address of his parents house, so the two men could meet up sometime, being that Sniper got on well with Stalwart in the last few months.

On April 1st, Medic and Stalwart put into action an April's Fool to play on Demoman, devised by Stalwart and based on The Titfield Thunderbolt. Medic and Stalwart entered the pub that Demoman was in, and found Demoman at the bar. Stalwart started talking.

"Hey Demo. We thought you'd be here. Medic and I want to buy the railway between here and Pinehill, but we don't have enough money."

"So?" asked Demoman.

"What do you do before this place opens?"

"I wait for the day to start."

"What if the day started at quarter to nine in the morning?"

Demoman smiled.

"If you give us your backing, we'll run bars on the Teufort-Pinehill line throughout the day." said Stalwart.

"Ja, but there vill not be a bar on Sundays." added Medic.

"You wouldn't joke a black Scottish Cyclops, Stalwart? And you wouldn't be doing something unholy, Medic?" asked Demoman.

"It vould be legal." answered Medic.

"You can write your own timetable." said Stalwart.

"You can write a your own check." replied Demoman.

"April's Fool."

"What's that?"

"A joke that's played on April 1st."

"Bloo..."

Medic and Stalwart fled the wrath of the enraged Demoman. They fled all the way to New Zealand with Heavy joining up with them on the ship there. When they arrived, they enjoyed the weather and the beaches, until Stalwart met a girl who looked vaguely familiar.

"What's you're name?" asked Stalwart.

"Don't you remember me? I'm Myrtle Hayward, Hayden, your girlfriend." replied the girl.

"Your real name is Hayden?" Medic asked Stalwart.

Stalwart didn't answer the question for quite a while, before confirming what Myrtle said.

"Vhat?" inquired Medic.

"I didn't know, okay. I forgot when I fell unconscious after sustaining serious injuries." answered Stalwart.

Heavy put his hand on Medic's shoulder.

"Doktor should not be always scientist, questioning everything. Stalwart will reveal when he feels ready."

Heavy and Medic were watched by Stalwart and Myrtle going onto the beach. Stalwart went to a nearby pub to buy Myrtle a drink, telling a summary of his time after forgetting who he was. When they exited the pub, they heard a very distinctive phrase for Heavy.

"Charge now, Doktor!"

* * *

**A/N** Sorry that the early part is mostly dialogue and little action, but Stalwart and Medic wouldn't want to get killed by Hale, so would try to be diplomatic in escaping it. Please review, all of those that haven't — I can tell because I get a mountain range when a new chapter gets uploaded, and this is probably the final chapter. On a final note, what happened to the woman who had the metal in her head is, possibly, real, as it is on the internet. Hope you enjoyed!


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